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Manchester attack: Police arrest 38-year-old man at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of terror offences

Thirty-eight-year-old detained as part of planned operation

Tom Batchelor
Wednesday 07 June 2017 00:09 BST
'The arrest was planned beforehand and there was no direct threat to the airport,' police said
'The arrest was planned beforehand and there was no direct threat to the airport,' police said (Reuters)

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A man has been arrested on terror charges at Heathrow Airport in connection with the Manchester Arena bombing.

The 38-year-old was taken into custody as part of a planned operation, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The force said there was no direct threat to the airport.

It was the 19th arrest in the probe into the 22 May attack that left 22 dead.

"The 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act and remains in custody," GMP said in a statement on Twitter.

"The arrest was planned beforehand and there was no direct threat to the airport."

The arrest comes as police said suicide bomber Salman Abedi may have stored items used to assemble the device in a Nissan Micra.

GMP said "significant evidence" was found in the white car, which has an "R" registration plate and was seized from Devell House in Rusholme on Friday.

The force issued photos of the car and a red and black holdall and appealed for anyone who recognised either to come forward.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson said police were continuing to track the movements Abedi made in the days leading up to the May 22 attack, which killed 22 people, including seven children.

He said: "Our investigation has also revealed that Abedi made repeated trips to and from this car between 18 and 22 May 2017 and we believe he was taking items from the car to help assemble the device.

"The car was sold by a previous keeper on 13 April 2017.

"Abedi left the country on 15 April and it is vital that we understand what happened to this car during these few days between 13 and 15 April.

"We need to know who was in the car and where the car went. You may have seen the car and not realised at the time but it could have stopped at a newsagents or a supermarket - did you see the car and its occupants during these dates?

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